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Jun 08, 2014ManMachine rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
Not really knowing what to expect from The Small Back Room, I'm glad to say that I found myself pleasantly surprised by this 1949, British production. It was one of the best character studies that I've seen (from that era) in quite a long time. Set in 1943 (in war-torn London), this beautifully restored, b&w drama held my undivided attention from start to finish. Featuring a good cast (headlined by David Farrar) and impressive camera-work (there's lots of great close-ups), The Small Back Room's story concerns the professional and personal conflicts of Sam Rice, a troubled research scientist and bomb-disposal expert with a "tin leg" and a weakness for whiskey. This solid, intense (and somewhat depressing) story even contains a scene filmed at Stonehenge. As well, there's a rather strange & surreal sequence involving clocks and a distorted bottle of whiskey that gets thrown into the mix which may be puzzling to some viewers. All-in-all - This WW2 drama was well-worth a view.